Trust Me #45
Revolution by The Beatles
When you talk about destruction
Don't you know that you can count me out ... in
I've welcome the recent protests by Just Stop Oil. While I initially questioned them throwing tomato soup over Van Gogh's priceless Sunflowers artwork (minor damage to the frame, painting unharmed), I quickly found myself on their side.
Activist Phoebe Plummer posed the question "What is worth more, art or life?" Her friend and fellow activist Anna Holland backed her up. "Is it worth more than food? More than justice? Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting or the protection of our planet and people?"
They are getting out there, making themselves heard, causing disruption ... of course they are pissing some people off. But hopefully some of these people are thinking more about the state of the world as a result.
Recently, the Antonio Gutteres, the UN Chief, warned that earth will be doomed unless there is a historic climate pact. Are politicians listening? Do they care?
Having marched with my (then) 10-year old daughter at COP26 in Glasgow last year. I don't think they do. I don't feel a sense of urgency. I certainly do not believe politicians are acting like we are on the verge of disaster.
No-one seems to be doing anything.
To start, we should be ring fencing and protecting the Amazon rainforest. I was learning about its destruction back in Modern Studies in 1992. It's now 2022 and nothing has changed. If anything, it sounds like it is worse. Sit down with Brazil, give them some money, put an army round the rainforest and protect it.
In March 2020 the world stopped to come together to fight a life threatening crisis. We need to do this again. To come together as one.
Is that going to happen? I don't see it. If it does, it will be too late.
Just Stop Oil are acting now. They are creating their own little revolution. They have my support and respect. I'm only surprised that more people are not marching on the streets to demand action to sort out the increasing number of crisis' we face.
I love this video of Austen Espeut after his own protest, with orange paint on his nose. Go on Austen!
While I'm not quite ready to douse the headquarters and offices of suspect companies in orange paint, I'd happily buy a few cans of paint for someone up for it. It feels like me and my generation didn't heed the warnings from our Modern Studies classes. We were too busy partying through the 90's and into the 00's.
But we must support our children to campaign. We must sit them down and let them know things HAVE to change. Because the world is changing. It's warmer, a lot warmer. There are going to be devastating consequences for everyone.
Thankfully, although it is still relatively quiet at present, revolution does feel like it is in the air. The generation above my daughters are ready for the fight. I hope my daughters generation will be right behind them to go over the wall.
I might not be on the frontline throwing paint about. I certainly won't be violent. But today I joined the Scottish Green Party for only £3 a month. Less than a cup of coffee these days. And I'm all in for independence for Scotland. I'm a Green Yes. It's good to see the SNP and The Greens working together. I'm in for the green revolution. The world needs it, Scotland needs it. Although I'm in, Lennon's line about out/in comes to mind again. I've never been a member of a political party before ... so I'll see how it goes!
Maybe don't count me out of the paint throwing just yet!
Which brings me back to this months Trust Me song; Revolution by The Beatles. That line by Lennon, don't you know that you can count me out/in. He was famously unsure about whether he was in or our when it came to violent/destructive revolution.
Lennon also sings the hook don't you know it's gonna be, alright?
At present, in November 2022, it really doesn't feel like it is gonna be alright. For multiple reasons! And that is why we need a revolution.
Lennon wrote the song in India on acoustic guitar and the version recorded for The White Album has an acoustic laid back bluesy groove. The burst of electric guitar at the start might have inspired the rerecorded version for the single.
Revolution 1, on the album, has shoo-be-doo-wop backing vocals, that sugar coat Lennon's trademark bite and cut to the bone/point lyrics.
You say you got a real solution
Well, you know
We'd all love to see the plan
The urgency of the song really comes out on the single though, the real Revolution for me. Lennon's primal scream, distorted and then fuzzed up guitar, Starr's crack beat, McCartney's bass groove ...
With added pace and menace, the song is cut from 4-minutes 14 seconds to 3-minutes 24 seconds. It sounds like The Beatles do want a revolution. Although Lennon is definitely out when it comes to violence/destruction.
Have Lennon & Harrison's guitars ever collided so deliciously? They are turned up and the sound is incredible. Nicky Hopkins plays electric piano. Everything builds towards a frantic conclusion with Lennon yelling alright, alright, alright, alright into his mic, vocals distorted like the guitars. It all sounds gloriously vital. Rock n roll.
The Beatles recorded an incredible video for the song with live vocals. Lennon goes back to count me out ... in. McCartney, as ever, revels in playing live, injecting real urgency into his own backing vocals and then sharing a mnic with George for shoo-bee-doo-wop sections lifted from the album verison. McCartney looks incredible as he sings the don't you know it's gonna be sections. He is loving it. Lennon improvises with primal grunts during the instrumental section, just adding to the urgency and pace.
Of course, I imagine that most of you reading this will know that The Beatles, or at least Lennon & Ono, recorded a sound collage entitled Revolution 9. Lennon said that he wanted to create the sound of revolution. I think I have listened to this once and although I attempted to listen again for the purposes of this blog ... I didn't make it very far before turning it off.
Revoltion 1 (White Album version)
Revolution + promotional video
I've also collated them all into a playlist on Spotify that you can find by searching for Everything Flows - Trust Me , or you can CLICK HERE
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